Top lift for boot and shoe heels.



W, F. BOSTOCK.

TOP LIFT FOB. BOOT AND SHOE HEELS.- APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1908.

907,723. r Patented M0129, 1908.

v23 5 I .5 W5 BY W W7 ATTORNEYS ,lNVENTOR WILLIAM BO'STOCK, "OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSTGN'OR 6F O NE-HAEF "TO FRED r. FIELD, or tnoonron, nn's'sircnnsarrs.

m am ma econ am; TSHOE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

Application filed August 20, 1908. Serial No. 449,471.

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. Bosrocn, of Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements-in Top Lifts for Boot and Shoe Heels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sole-leather top lifts which are given approximately their final shape before being applied to boot or shoe heels, and are adapted to receive short nails or slugs which are driven in to the marginal portion of the tread surface of the top lift, and are symmetrically arranged in close proximity to each other so that their outer ends form a row of heads which are flush with the tread surface of the top lift, and

whose principal function is to impart a finish to the marginal portion of the top lift.

These slugs are driven by a slugging ma chine, each slug being cut from a strip of wire of indeterminate length mounted upon the machine, the latter having mechanism for cutting off lengths of the wire to form slugs, and for driving the same. The outer ends of the slugs thus formed are left somewhat rough b the cutters, and have to be smoothed off y the application of a buffing tread surface of the heel, said apphancebeing usually a roll covered with sandpaper, or other abrasive material,

- which removes the roughness of the outer ends of the slugs smooth and flush top lift.

- ily invention has for its object to provide atop lift having an ornamented area occupying the greater part of the tread face of the top lift, and to enable that portion of the top lift which contains the slugs to be buffed and slightly reduced in thickness by the buffing operation without defacement of the ornamentation of the ornamented area.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a view of the bottom or tread face of a top lift embodying my invention. F ig. 2 represents a section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents an enlargement of a portion of Fig.2 showin the top lift applied to the body of a heef, and a slug driven into and through the top lift, Fig. 4 represents a and leaves said outer ends with the tread face of the sac length forming .remove a portion of the view similar to Fig. 3, showing the condition of the top lift and slugs after the buffing operation, which removes material from the slugs to smooth their outer ends.

The same reference characters indicate the "same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, 12 represents a soleleather top lift, the tread face of which has an ornamented area formed in the present case by impressing diagonal rows of pyramidal indentations 13 in the outer face of the top lift, said indentations being so disposed as to form intersecting diagonal ribs 14. This treatment diversifies the surface of the said area, giving it an attractive appearance, and also roughens it so that it is less liable to slip than it would be if left smooth. The said ornamented area may be formed by a suitable die, which at one operation forms the indentations 13 and the ribs 14, suitable pressure being used to indent or de press the entire ornamented area, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The ornamented area occupies less than the entire tread face of the to lift, a marginal U-shaped area 15 being pressure which forms the ornamented "area, is left offset outwardly from the ornamented area, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The top lift thus formed is secured to the body 16 of a heel in any suitable manner. Into the marginal area 15 are driven the usual slugs 17, which are commonly formed of brass wire which is furnished in coils or strips of indeterminate length, the slugging machine being provided with mechanism for cutting len the from the strip and driving the same, a slug 17 having a slight roughness or bur formed on its outer end by the cutting mechanism. It is customary'to outer ends of the slugs to make the same smooth and flush with the tread face of the to lift, this operation necessarily removing ai so a part of the said tread face.

By reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the raised or offset slug receiving area 15 enables a portion of the material of each slug and a portion of the material of the top lift immediately surrounding the same to be removed by abufling roll or wheel without contact between the buffing ap liance and the ornamentation on the centra portion of the top lift. The dotted line inF1g. 3 indieft upon the tread face, which area being unaffected by the cates the extent to which the material, both of the top lift and the slugs, may be removed.

by the buffing appliance without defacement of the ornamentation.

Fig; 4 shows the condition of the top lift area formed to receive slugs, the said mar-- ginal area being offset outwardly from the ornamented area, whereby material may be I portion.

removed from the mar inal area and from the outer endsof the s ugs without-defaoe- 5 ment of the ornamentation, all of the portion of the lift within the offset marginal portion being of greater density thansaid marginal In testimony whereof I have afiixed signature, 1n presence of two witnesses.

WILLiAM F. 'BOSTOCK. Witnesses: i

I MARGARET -KENNEY,

JAMES STEWART. 

